Here we are back at Bannermans for a night of blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll with the fabulous Troy Redfern. But first, we have a young four-piece band from Glasgow in the form of Warm Reekin’ Rich.
The boys are inspired by classic rock, blues, psychedelic, and folk music, and it certainly showed in their style—hints of Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock era, early AC/DC in their slower blues-style rockers, and even a slight nod to Rory Gallagher with their “Some Said I” single, which came out last November. For a young band, they played like seasoned veterans and went down well with the crowd and family who had come along to them.
I’d definitely see them again—if the boys are playing near you, go along and give them some . Got to keep that younger talent moving forward.
Now, the main event: Troy Redfern, backed by only drummer Nicky Waters on stage tonight, as they are touring as a stripped-down duo. Troy is semi-electric tonight, and I’ve seen Nicky play bigger drum kits—his setup tonight even makes the late Charlie Watts’ kit look huge, with only a snare, a single tom, and a solitary cymbal set up at the stage edge.
As Troy sets up—looking just too cool in that hat of his—and Nicky gets settled behind that “huge” kit with his trademark cheeky grin, the boys kick off with a raw, stripped-back setlist mainly pulled from The Fire Cosmic, The Wings of Salvation, and, of course, last year’s stunner Invocation. A couple of new ones get us going with “Shakin'” and “Take My Soul,” which set the pace well in front of a sadly not-so-large crowd. Up next is a fabulous version of “Take Me High,” one of my favourites from Invocation. Another standout is “The Calling,” which I thought took on a life of its own tonight in this stripped-back form, as did “Native,” with Nicky just tremendous on drums along with those haunting vocals and some epic slide guitar from Troy.
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We have a single outing from the Island album with “John the Revelator,” and if there was ever a song suited to this stripped-back night, this is the one—possibly the highlight of the night. It had you thinking of those sunset evenings in the American southern swamps with its heavy swagger of slide guitar, the rhythmic thump of drums from Nicky, and the laid-back vocals from Troy—just stunning. The extended version of “Sanctify” tonight was almost a rockabilly slice of heaven—just needed a big double bass at full tilt. I think this was the one where Nicky used all parts of the drums—from cymbal arms to snare edges. I lose track when photographing at the same time, so bear with me.
We also got fabulous versions of “Waiting for Your Love” and a personal favourite of mine, “Voodoo Priestess.” This performance was a pure joy tonight, with the two of them totally in sync, bouncing off each other, and just having fun—and it showed.
I think Nicky played every part of that “huge” kit tonight, and Troy, with his guitar swaps and slide precision, was a joy to watch and listen to. The crowd may not have been the biggest, but they were vocal—and rightly so. This was a stunning night of musicianship of the highest order, with two mates having a lot of fun. Would an album of these stripped-back songs be out of the question? I don’t think so—hint, hint. Troy is back on tour in May—get out there, just relax, and enjoy the vibe of music on a different level. Until next time, Troy.
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Photos by Gary Cooper
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